Delaware, USA: And Then There Were Seven – Senator Carper Endorses Marriage Equality

As our society has changed and evolved, so too has the public’s opinion on gay marriage – and so has mine. I pray every day for God to grant me the wisdom to do what is right. Through my prayers and conversations with my family and countless friends and Delawareans, I’ve been reminded of the power of one of my core values: the Golden Rule. It calls on us to treat others as we want to be treated. That means, to me, that all Americans ultimately should be free to marry the people they love and intend to share their lives with, regardless of their sexual orientation, and that’s why today, after a great deal of soul searching, I’m endorsing marriage equality.

Ezra Klein at WonkBlog points out that, in 2011, only 15 US Senators backed marriage equality. Now, just two years later, we just hit 50:

By my count, that makes 49 members of the Senate, plus Vice President Biden, the Senate president, who support same-sex marriage. How big a change is that? The first senator to hold this position is Ron Wyden, who has supported same-sex marriage since taking office in 1996. But for many years after that, change was slow.

Thinks are accelerating, both in congress and in the polls. It’s an exciting time to be alive.